Taonga Treaty Claim ‘Nonsense’ – Maori Academic

The leader of Northland’s Matarahurahu hapu, and Unitec lecturer
David Rankin, has lashed out at a Waitangi Tribunal claim submitted by
Rosina Hauiti, who wants her Tongan husband recognised as a taonga under
the treaty to stop his pending expulsion.

“This represents a gross abuse of the Treaty process, and trivialises
the important work that the Tribunal does”, says Mr. Rankin. However,
he does not put the blame entirely at the feet of the claimant:

“I believe that the Minister responsible, Mark Burton, needs to make
a stand against such vexatious claims – they clog up the mechanism of
the Tribunal, waste people’s time, and contribute enormously to the
delays that more serious claimants are enduring”, he says.

Mr. Rankin believes that this claim will make the Tribunal and the
claims process a laughing stock in the eyes of many New Zealanders.
“If it is allowed to proceed, then we will be setting back the
credibility of the claims process by a couple of decades, and all for
one person’s nonsense. We have laws covering immigration in this
country, and so Ms Hauiti should work through those and not try to
hijack the claims process for her love-life”.

ends

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